Union claims Missing Middle is unable to pay the registration fees
Many absent middle school pupils won’t be able to afford to pay registration fees up front, therefore the South African Union of pupils has urged higher education institutions to enable them to enrol.
For the 2023 academic year, registration has begun in universities and colleges all around South Africa, and these institutions demand that students pay registration fees upfront before their registration is complete.
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and the Department of Higher Education and Training have agreements that must be followed in order for all NSFAS-approved students to register without having to pay anything up front, according to a call from the South African Union of Students (SAUS).
According to the union, it is not expected that kids from the working class and poor will have difficulty enrolling in schools because of a shortage of funds, especially first-time students.
SAUS is worried about students who make up the “missing middle” because of the possibility that they would be turned away from higher schools due to a lack of defined policy objectives and government directions.
Missing middle school students are thought to be too wealthy to be eligible for NSFAS assistance yet are also unable to afford university education.
According to SAUS, it is obvious that missing middle school students won’t be able to make the necessary deposits to enrol at higher education facilities.
The union has asked that all universities abide by the department’s instructions to register all students who have satisfied the academic prerequisites to continue their studies and not prevent them from attending institutions because they are unable to pay registration fees.
The amount of student debt, which is currently R16.5 billion and primarily originates from the missing middle generation, is alarming, according to SAUS, since if it is not addressed, the industry could collapse and risk its ability to maintain its financial stability.
